President Biden will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to discuss a possible ceasefire agreement to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, while also discussing a new Israeli attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The warning was repeated, officials said. Said.
The call came just hours after Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken left Washington for a recent trip to the Middle East aimed at winding down the war in Gaza. Blinken will first visit Saudi Arabia, where he will meet with officials from Egypt and Qatar, which have been acting as intermediaries with Hamas in the stalled ceasefire and hostage negotiations.
Blinken is scheduled to visit Israel during his stay in the region this week, but the State Department has not announced his itinerary beyond Riyadh, and he is also scheduled to attend a meeting of the World Economic Forum. He is the Biden administration's target to broker a ceasefire in the war, expand humanitarian aid and win the release of more than 100 hostages believed to still be in Gaza since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led terrorist attack. It plays an important role in the initiative.
The call came as Biden told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reconsider his support for Israel's war unless the country does more to expedite the shipment of food and other supplies to Gaza and limit civilian casualties. It also happened three weeks after he said he planned to do so. Since then, humanitarian aid to Gaza has increased significantly, with Biden advisers crediting Israel with meeting the president's demands, but U.S. officials acknowledging the aid is still not at the level needed. ing.
Israel has withdrawn some troops from southern Gaza but said it was still planning a major attack on Rafah, where about 1 million Palestinians have taken refuge. Biden administration officials have expressed concerns about the possible operation, and Israeli officials said they would consider those comments and discuss further with their U.S. counterparts.
In a statement after the call, the White House said Biden “reiterated our clear position” on Operation Rafah and “reviewed with the prime minister ongoing discussions to ensure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as well as the release of the hostages.” ” he said. ”
“The president and prime minister also discussed increasing the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza, including preparations for the opening of a new northern border starting this week,” the statement said. “The President emphasized the need to maintain and strengthen this progress in full partnership with the humanitarian community.”
The statement only mentioned the recent conflict between Israel and Iran, saying, “Following the successful defense against Iran's unprecedented missile and drone attack earlier this month, Biden reaffirms his firm commitment to Israel's security. “I did,” he said.
Israeli and American forces, with the support of their European and Arab allies, have destroyed nearly all of the more than 300 missiles and drones that Iran fired at Israel earlier this month in retaliation for Israel's killing of senior Iranian officials. Shot down. Israel has heeded Biden's pleas for restraint and has only launched a token counterattack, with both sides indicating they want to avoid further escalation.
With the immediate threat of a broader war fading, Biden and his team could turn their attention back to Gaza. Under a U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal, Israel would halt fighting for six weeks and offer prison services in exchange for the release of 40 hostages held by Hamas, mostly women, older men and people with health conditions. Hundreds of Palestinians detained in the United States will be freed. Later stages of the agreement would extend the ceasefire and result in the release of more hostages.
American officials said Israel accepted the plan but was blocked by Hamas. Israel submitted a new counteroffer on Friday, raising the possibility of a more durable end to hostilities. Hamas, which has called for a permanent end to the war as part of any deal, said on Saturday it had received his proposal and was considering it.
